The 49ers offseason so far ---
by 11allstar on Jul 29, 2011 11:27 AM PDT
Email
Print
Hello fellow 49er brethren and sistren (is that a word?). The 49ers offseason free agency period, has been a roller coaster so far.. It feels like we're ratcheting slowly up but haven't picked up any speed. If anything the losses of key veterans Takeo Spikes and David Baas, and possible non signing of elite free agents threaten to derail this offseason train.
And yet, the optimists out there see the signs of hope that are easy to miss:
*signing of A. Smith
*signing of Ray McDonald
*signing of D. Akers
And even the cutting of Clements seems to offer some hope that the F.O. will use their stockpile of cash under the cap to improve this team in the win column from last year's 6-10 disappointment.
After the jump, lets get your vote on how you feel the offseason is going and what the niners should do.
Are Jed and Baalke on a wild ride..
via floppingout.com
Or is this a classic case of a waiting game of free agency...?
Your vote after the break..
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.
37 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Im literally upset if we’re pulling out of the running for Nnamdi… We need a splash badly! I see Pass Rushers getting picked up and Corners getting picked up… and i see teams like Panthers and Chargers spending money to get better. We are just sitting on our asses not doing anything. I thought they had a plan, and Im sure they did… I just figured they would get someone worth talking about, other than the freaking Kicker!
I’m getting pretty upset that we are not even being mentioned to be in the running for a relevant free agent
if we don’t make any improvements I’ll try to sell my season tickets
by 49erEmpire on Jul 29, 2011 3:07 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Here's the New boss.....
Same as the old boss! This is getting to be too much! The FO talks all that smack about building a competative team, yet, the Cards get Kolb, the Eagles get Nnamdi….and what do we spend big on? ALEX SMITH!? Am I missing something here? No, I don’t want the FO to just THROW money at any old player. But, COME ON! There have been guys available since the beginning of FA that make too much sense to bring in. Yet, the FO wants us to believe they have a plan in place to be competative? Sadly, this once proud frachise is turning into THE BENGALS!
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
by DarkkStarr1 on Jul 29, 2011 4:15 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
rumors the cards and heap are working on a deal too.
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!
by remembering9ergods on Jul 30, 2011 9:37 AM PDT up reply actions
This got turned green?
Really, people? Really?
"Bears are crazy, Willie. They'll bite your head off if you're wearing steak on it."
Expecting A Different Result
Somehow this feels like we’re all watching the beginning of the end of the 2011 season.
First, the ink is barely dry on the CBA and TKO is gone to San Diego. Next the departure of Baas catches the Niner brass flat footed and by the time they come up for air from signing all the camp meat puppets, Baas is gone on a plane to New York. Naturally, Baalke whiffs on Nnamdi as LaBoy follows TKO and bolts to San Diego.
I seriously doubt Clements, Franklin, Goldson and Lawsen will ever wear a Niner jersey again and with a defensive exodus of this magnitude it’s a good thing we didn’t give out defensive playbooks before camp opened! Regardless of what you think of these players, this represents a lot of change for a team that struggled to finish 6-10 last season. More troublesome is we don’t have an answer for some of the missing free agents and a lot of the vacant positions we have were not addressed in the draft. What are we going to do at center, cornerback and fullback?
And just to make things more interesting, Gore is holding out and Crabtree is not participating in training camp again! I mean…. Really?
I know it’s still early, but when I look at the Eagles and Patriots and see how they work Free Agency, it’s easy to see why they remain on top in the NFL year after year. As Baalke enters his seventh season with the 49ers is it any wonder why the Niners are the team they are?
by Ninerpoints on Jul 29, 2011 9:04 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
harbough made a statement about
most teams being quiet in free agency. That is NOT true in the NFC west..Consider this:
About 3/4 of the national football league being quiet isnt accurate or valid compared to the NFC West. See the acquistion tracker here: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/28/post-lockout-acquisitions/
Of the four NFC West teams we have made the least acquisitions..Atlanta has made the most and some of the loudest (14 transactions), Seattle (9 transactions), and St. Louis (6 transactions).
Our SF niners…the least at four transactions..three of which were from our 6-10 team last year..one transaction that new we did make D. Akers..replaced an injured J. Nedney..
I felt the other three NFC teams addressed some key needs with strong (good to excellent) free agent pickups —at the very least according to need. For instance, Arizona getting K. Kolb may not turn out great, but he was the best QB available in free agency and who did they have penciled in before acquiring him?
The point of all this is..6-10 teams like the niners do not get better by undrafted free agents and at this point the team does not seem to be anywhere close to improving itself from without in free agency.
When did Atlanta rejoin our division?
I missed that one….
"Bears are crazy, Willie. They'll bite your head off if you're wearing steak on it."
Are you 2 that blind?
For Ougadas and Blank x2, you have GOT to be kidding right? Out of that entire message the ONLY info you could pull out was that he mistook Atlanta for Arizona, and that he’s hysterical? How sad this it is that there are people on this site that are so blinded by insane loyalty that you would dismiss the fact that not only is the ship sinking; it’s on fire, broken at the keel, and the Captain has already left in the last life raft available!
The Niners stayed a cut above the rest of the NFL in the 80’s and built their mystique, not only on getting the best out of the guys they had. But, also by recognizing that when the time was right, they struck for more firepower whenever possible. Do you honestly think we would’ve won our last SB in ‘94 w/o our acqusition of “The Mercenary” (and now HOF’er" Deion Sanders? Or when we needed OL help we went and got one of the best at the time Larry Allen? Or even further bolstered a great LB core when we broke the bank for Ken Norton Jr? IT’s simple boys and girls, in this league, you don’t stay competative by low balling on the team. A gaggle of undrafted FA’s is no where close to 2-3 high end FA’s!
Even the Patriots who have been a bastion of great teams for the last 6 yrs, haven’t stayed put. They have also been VERY active in this yrs FA market. Yet, once again, the Niners FO acts as if we have just won the last 2 SB’s and do NOTHING! THat’s just plain piss poor management! At this point, I feel sorry for Harbaugh. He’s being set up to fail just Singletary. Being given a gun with a faulty hammer, and 2 bullets and told to hold off the mass Indian hordes! (On that subject, I’ll say this; I have heard way too many people on this site giving Singletary grief over his tenure as HC. But, in all honesty to yourself, what exactly did the FO give to Snig for him to succeed?) Good luck man…..you’re going to need it. At least, you won’t go alone as you have a plethora of blindly loyal minions to accompany your journey to the bottom.
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
Those additions
were when we were just a guy away from getting over the hump — we were already Lombardi contenders but were having trouble getting through the NFC championship.
We aren’t anywhere close to being a guy or two away, and bringing in the high priced free agents right now will only put us in salary cap hell several years down the road.
Wow, the Patriots were active? Looks to me like they only signed Marcus Stroud. Ocho and Haynesworth were trades where as usual, teams agreed to give up struggling and aged veterans to Belicheck for a bowl full of ketchup. Maybe you were too hysterical to pay attention to the difference.
But that’s ok, feel free to continue vilifying the remaining cool heads as you throw your little tantrum.
Your point being?
You’re absolutely right. Back then we WERE only a player or 2 away from winning the big game. The fact is….even though we were one of the TOP teams in the leasgue…WE STILL MADE MOVES TO GET BETTER! It would have been very easy to sit on our laurels and continue to maintain the course (That was working mind you), and make changes necessary to continue being at the top.
I give you credit that you recognize we aren’t close to being near the NFC championship, HOWEVER…..as the old JApanese proverb says…“The march of 1,000 miles begins with 1 step.” Getting a few much needed FA’s to replenish our extreamly depleted roster of new recruiits, old vets, and never will be’s….THEN THAT’S WHAT YOU DO! Not continue to hold off on the hope that some “Miracle Wunderkind” will save your behind.
As for the Patriots, trades ARE included with the FA market. For the most part, this is where they usaully occur. Not during the middle of the season. My point is, even without these new players, the Pats are in the top 5 every year in the league. And they accomplish this through FA as well as through the draft. Don’t be so blind or try to split atoms with a sledge hammer. You only fail to see the big picture everytime.
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
by DarkkStarr1 on Jul 31, 2011 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions
So if you acknowledge that we are nowhere near
the NFC championship.
Why do you waste money on overpriced free agents that will either be retired or looking for the next big payday by the time you are?
All that does is limit the playing time for the young guys you are trying to develop and severely limit your options when it comes time to retain your own young players after 3 years before they hit FA.
And no, Ocho and Haynesworth were not free agents, and not part of the market. It isn’t splitting atoms because that’s the whole point. Belicheck does not pay aging veterans mammoth contracts. He trades for them after the other team has already paid 90% of their contracts and he gives up 5th and 6th rounders for them.
That’s why they are top 5 every year — he’s getting something for nothing. Actually signing a FA is the reverse of that — overpaying for the overrated.
Yet, they still sign in droves....
and the Pats stay at the top. Not trying to scratch a deeper hole from the bottom.
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
by DarkkStarr1 on Jul 31, 2011 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions
one word.
disaster
Coach Raye crazy man. Says Yahoo in our training camp,We Didn’t know we had Wifi,cOach Sing says he likes UpGut.com. Bish! - Anthony Dixon
So far according to the poll
most niners nation fans believe we are getting our butts kicked in free agency. A smaller percentage 20% are still on the fence with the team.
I’d really like to hear from the 20% who trust the “plan”…what exactly is the plan (and dont tell me its patience..we can all read) and who are the niners targeting that they cannot get now and why are they sitting on 20 mil plus..
Please no lame one liners like above.
by 11allstar on Jul 31, 2011 12:09 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I voted for trusting the plan. I hope the plan is to build through the draft rather than acquire FAs because FAs usually come at a premium. I rather the FO take their time and do it right than to rush into patching holes at the cost of future stability. I rather wait 4 years and win a Superbowl than to spend now and be competitive but and fall short of winning it all every year. We all know we’re not gonna be winning the Superbowl in the near future with a couple of splashy free agents anyway. I look at it like how the Giants won the WS – build through good drafting and get inexpensive role players. Save your cap for true impact players (like Nnamdi). I don’t like Mark Cuban but I agree with what he said: It’s easier to go from terrible to great than from mediocre to great. I can be patient if it means bigger dividends down the road.
by Relentless9R on Jul 31, 2011 1:17 AM PDT up reply actions
And if you also ask "Cube's"....
He’ll tell you the real value of a quality FA, is to bolster what you already have. (BTW, one of the best players from the Mav’s 2010 World Champion teams was J.J. Barea. Who I might add was originally drafted by Phoenix. Hmmmmmmmmmm……
Yes, you can build a good team through the draft, but that the real issue you have with such a plan is…..TIME. Once a player has played through his 3-4 year contract, he’s going to demand even MORE money to stay on a clunker team. Whereas FA’s may cost you more in the beginning, they eventually begin demanding less as they see the team turn around and begin contending. Peyton Manning is a perfect example. He just signed a new contract that will pay him $18+ mil per season for the next 3 yrs with more money coming for another 2. Why do I bring up Manning’s signing? Simple. He is without question one of the best QB’s in the league. PERIOD! And at $18 mill a yr (even at his advanced age,) is a steal! But, he took LESS money so his team can stay competative. Not be handcuffed with just his salary alone. What the Niners are doing is just dumb!
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
The plan is responsible management
From a football perspective there were players we wanted, but we had a price point at which that free agent no longer made sense to bring on board. When that price point was bypassed, we refused to get needy and emotional and mortgage the future for upgrades that would not have put us in Lombardi contention, but would have put us in salary cap hell.
Now realistically, there was no real hope to bring some of these guys on board. They were going to command mammoth contracts due to the artificial scarcity of free agency and our maximum bid was destined to be outbid before we made it. But our FO had to perform their due diligence and make an offer.
So then.....
Responsible Management means, If you don’t see the problem….it doesn’t exist? There’s a reason that most new vehicles on the road nowadays have a “Check Engine” light. It’s to let the driver know, that maybe not right at the moment while you’re speeding to the market for Milk and Cereal, your engine will give out. But, that if ignored, the issue will get worse, and eventually….MORE EXPENSIVE TO FIX! The same goes for NFL teams. Especially the Niners. Our “Check Engine” light has been BLARING in our face for over 10 yrs! And non of the FO of the past 2 administrations has done a DAMN thing to fix it other than switch HC’s and GM’s.
I ask you, what planet is that “Responsible Management”?
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
Our check engine light
The check engine light comes on when a sensor that is monitoring the operation of emission and electrical components fails a self test. If you see the check engine light but do not notice obvious changes in engine performance like missing, stalling acceleration, or surging — then the most common culprit is that the sensor itself is failing.
The “check engine” light, actually has very little to do with the engine of your vehicle, but with the wide range of electrical connections, modern fuel injection, and the wide host of emissions sensors.
But you are right, our check engine light has been going off for a long time, and we’ve ignored it and tried many patchwork duct-tape fixes that only sent us further into mediocrity.
We have had a serious problem identifying talent in the draft, and a serious problem developing what talent we do select.
We’ve spent the last decade trying to patch over that glaring weakness with Free Agents.
Takeo Spikes, Ted Ginn, Allen Rossum, JT. O’Sullivan, Justin Smith, Bryant Johnson, Barry Sims, Michael Lewis, Nate Clements, Ashley Lelie, Aubrayo Franklin, Tully Banta-Cain, Antonio Bryant, Walt Harris, Larry Allen, Shaun Hill, Moran Norris (Twice), Jonas Jennings, Marques Douglas, Tony Wragge.
Spikes, J. Smith, Clements, and Franklin are the best out of the whole bunch — and look at where they are now.
J. Smith is the only one still with the team. Spikes wanted a long term contract and left, Clements was a huge salary cap mistake, and Franklins continued unreasonable contract demands were the end of the line.
So yes, we finally did something about that pesky check engine light — we fought for and brought in a man who we think can develop young talent.
No more duct tape free agents, no more salary cap hell, no more culture of mediocrity.
We’re finally turning the franchise around, and many of you are throwing a tantrum because we are not continuing the mistakes of the past.
by Ougadas on Jul 31, 2011 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, it's all good
The Yorks are geniuses. And Harbaugh is the next Messiah.
Ground Hogs Day ~ The Sequel ~ The Nightmare Goes On And On And...
Well apparently the Yorks aren't geniuses
Because they banged their heads against the wall letting their FO drive the team into the ground for a decade.
Surprise!
+1!
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
by DarkkStarr1 on Jul 31, 2011 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions
Nice name recitation......
And completely off the mark. With the exceptions of Clements and Larry Allen, non of the other guys were BIG name FA’s. We got hosed on the Banta-Cain deal, because the Pats KNEW he wasn’t worth a quarter, and he didn’t even last a full season with us before we shipped his sorry behind to Seattle. AND WE WERE STUCK FOR LINEBACKERS! He then eventually found himself back in NE and out of football altogether. Spikes worked because he had mouthed himself out of Cincinnatti, and wasn’t expected to play worht a flip. Lelie was brought in because we missed out on the better players availble when we got him. As for Ginn, that was a draft day trade that took place in the 4TH RD! So, it’s not like he or any of the rest of the names above were highly touted FA’s
As for my analogy, whatever the flashes for, it indicates SOMETHING is wrong with the engine and it isn’t quite working properly. End of story. As for “salary cap hell”, that was a phrase brought about at the end of the Eddie D dynasty when there was no salary cap, and it was just installed. We now have a full decade of salary cap experience, so saying that is moot. Our Culture of Mediocrity will continue as long as we underpay our best players, and overpay for worthless ones. continue to switch HC in order to escape admitting that winning flows from the TOP (FO) down. Besides, is that not a quick fix idea?
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
by DarkkStarr1 on Jul 31, 2011 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Alright, I'm done wasting time with you.
If you don’t even understand your own car analogy you’re never going to be able to understand why big name FAs are always bad decisions unless they are the final piece of the puzzle.
Is that the best you have left?
I understand the car analogy perfectly fine! I am just no longer in the mood to wait for another 4 years of sub 500 seasons. Just to hire another HC and annoint him a good coach when we spend nothing in FA to bolster the squad of players we already have. Period.
K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr
Ougadas - you are SO RIGHT ON !!!!
I don’t know what car analogy you can say for Alex Smith. Maybe a piece s—t lemon car that cost a ton of money when it was first purchased and has done nothing but break down and never once ran good. Almost any other owner that ever drove a car would in their right mind just get rid of it as maybe someone else might have better luck with it, cause cleally (time and time again) the car does not work with its current owner. Yet another year of trying to get from a simple point A to point B (not asking alot – like a long road trip aka Super Bowl) just a simple down the road. Never happen…as I can barely stomach watching this car another season, I just don’t get it….could everyone else in the world be wrong when they get rid of their car that clearly doesn’t work (unless you have a Brady or Manning mobile).
remember Norv?
In Smith’s 2nd year, he made a great improvement and played every single snap under off. coordinator norv turner. If turner hadn’t of left the following yr for the San Diego job, and stayed as off. coor. all these years, Alex Smith would be a top 10-12 QB in this league ! Now that Haurbough is at the helm and leading the QBs, and with 2 or more consecutive yrs of the same offensive leadership, Smith will develop to be a good qb! Colin will develop too under Haurbough!
by EastCoast49er on Aug 1, 2011 2:45 AM PDT up reply actions
free agency
when i wake up monday morning, i better hear we signed a wide out and a cornerback or DB!!!!!
Niner nation fan offseason opinion
Well so far 49er fans by their vote —-believe by a margin of 2-1, that the niners are getting their butts kicked in free agency..
This is based on over 300 total votes.
We will have to see how free agency plays out to see what other moves/trades are made.
Right now, the best understanding of what is going on seems to be a new change of order or rebuilding plan that takes a year or two to evaluate talent in system.
Whether this is prudent or not given our division and the timing of things is a whole nother discussion…
looks like the faithful 33% were right
funny to read this post now after this weeks moves
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Niners Nation
Related FanShots on Niners Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
- Alex Smith gets blown up by Jon Beason over Cam Newton comments
